Should I Decorate My Fence for the Holidays?

Thinking of creating your own version of the Denver Zoo Lights in your yard this year? Any time after Thanksgiving (and for some of us after Halloween) is fair game for expressing your Christmas spirit, and of course that extends beyond your indoor space and encompasses your lawn. Fences are like beautiful, built-in scaffolding to support and show off your holiday spirit. Here are our favorite holiday decorating ideas for every style of fence, along with do’s and don’t for safety.

Classic Christmas

Classic Christmas fence decor never goes out of style, so dress up your fence with lighted garlands hung from post to post. For an extra touch of elegance, hang wreaths or festive bows from each fence post. This classic Christmas look is particularly well-suited to cedar, Trex, concrete, vinyl, split rail, and ornamental iron fences.

A Hundred Snowmen

For any fences whose posts rise above the horizontal fence pickets, especially white fences, you can also top each one with a mini hat and scarf to make each post look like a snowman! Your snowmen’s hats can be as simple as socks whose bases are rolled up like beanie rims and the scarves can be as simple as plaid ribbons or strips of fabric tied in front of each fence post.

Lite-Brite Christmas

Remember playing with lite-brites as a child? Well one of the best things about Christmas is that it allows you to rekindle your childlike spirit, so when you look out into your yard, imagine you’re seeing a lite bright board full of potential rather than a chain link fence. You can hang ornaments or lights in each diagonal to create pictures like Christmas trees, snowmen, gingerbread men, Santa, and more!

Holiday Fence Decorating Do’s and Don’ts:

Even Santa uses reigns on his sleigh, so reign in your Christmas enthusiasm to ensure your setup is safe and won’t damage your fence by following these guidelines from one of our fence providers, CertainTeed.

Do:

Read all instructions included in your decoration manuals.

Use outdoor lights.

Check to see if electrical connections are dry and clean.

Don’t:

Use indoor extension cords outdoors.

Overload outlets.

Leave lights on while it rains.

Fasten decorations with staples, nails, screws, or glue. Instead, drape them or fasten them with string, ribbon, or clips (this is really a way to get more creative and festive with your decor!).